NameCensus.

UK surname

Tomblin

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "tumbling stream" or "stream with stepping stones" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 544 people recorded with the Tomblin surname, ranking it #6,344 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 425, ranked #11,300, down from #6,344 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Luffenham North, Morcott and Barrowden. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, Bolsover and Huntingdonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tomblin is 752 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 21.9%.

1881 census count

544

Ranked #6,344

Modern count

425

2016, ranked #11,300

Peak year

1911

752 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tomblin had 544 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,344 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 425 in 2016, ranked #11,300.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 752 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tomblin surname distribution map

The map shows where the Tomblin surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Tomblin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tomblin over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 332 #7,031
1861 historical 438 #5,884
1881 historical 544 #6,344
1891 historical 572 #6,649
1901 historical 685 #6,388
1911 historical 752 #5,729
1997 modern 468 #9,769
1998 modern 495 #9,678
1999 modern 493 #9,765
2000 modern 483 #9,891
2001 modern 485 #9,688
2002 modern 493 #9,728
2003 modern 459 #10,113
2004 modern 451 #10,301
2005 modern 427 #10,633
2006 modern 419 #10,837
2007 modern 427 #10,782
2008 modern 431 #10,814
2009 modern 422 #11,221
2010 modern 427 #11,379
2011 modern 424 #11,314
2012 modern 418 #11,318
2013 modern 433 #11,184
2014 modern 439 #11,132
2015 modern 432 #11,183
2016 modern 425 #11,300

Geography

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Where Tomblins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Luffenham North, Morcott, Barrowden, Manton and Bisbrooke. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, Bolsover, Huntingdonshire, Dacorum and Kettering. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Luffenham North Rutland
2 Morcott Rutland
3 Barrowden Rutland
4 Manton Rutland
5 Bisbrooke Rutland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 005 South Holland
2 Bolsover 007 Bolsover
3 Huntingdonshire 001 Huntingdonshire
4 Dacorum 001 Dacorum
5 Kettering 002 Kettering

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tomblin

These lists show first names that appear often with the Tomblin surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tomblin

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tomblin, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Tomblin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Tomblin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Tomblin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tomblin is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tomblin falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tomblin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Tomblin, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Tomblin

The surname Tomblin is believed to have originated in England, and it is thought to be derived from the Old English word "tun," meaning a farm or settlement, and the word "blin," which could refer to a hill or a ridge. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived on a farm or settlement located on a hill or ridge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tomblin can be found in the Domesday Book, which was a survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name has been in use since at least the 11th century.

In the 13th century, there are records of a family with the name Tomblin residing in the village of Tomblin, which was located in the county of Nottinghamshire. This village may have been named after the family or vice versa, but it is clear that the name was well-established in that area during that time period.

During the 16th century, there are records of a notable individual named John Tomblin, who was born in 1542 and served as a member of Parliament for the town of Nottingham from 1572 to 1586. This demonstrates that the Tomblin name had achieved some level of prominence and recognition by that point.

Another notable figure with the surname Tomblin was William Tomblin, who was born in 1675 and served as the Mayor of Nottingham from 1729 to 1730. This further reinforces the connection between the Tomblin name and the Nottinghamshire region.

In the 19th century, there was a Samuel Tomblin who was born in 1825 and became a prominent businessman and industrialist in the city of Birmingham. He was involved in the manufacture of firearms and other metalwork, and his success contributed to the spread of the Tomblin name beyond its traditional stronghold in Nottinghamshire.

Throughout history, the surname Tomblin has also been spelled in various ways, including Tomlyn, Tomlins, and Tomblinson, among others. These variations likely arose due to regional differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

Overall, the surname Tomblin has a rich history that can be traced back to its origins in England, particularly in the county of Nottinghamshire. While it may have started as a name associated with a specific location or geographical feature, it has since spread and been adopted by individuals from various backgrounds and regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tomblin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tomblin surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Rutland leads with 198 Tomblins recorded in 1881 and an index of 508.21x.

County Total Index
Rutland 198 508.21x
Northamptonshire 70 14.02x
Lincolnshire 66 7.78x
Leicestershire 44 7.48x
Middlesex 36 0.68x
Huntingdonshire 19 18.03x
Nottinghamshire 16 2.24x
Warwickshire 14 1.05x
Sussex 11 1.23x
Derbyshire 9 1.08x
Hertfordshire 9 2.46x
Yorkshire 9 0.17x
Kent 8 0.44x
Lancashire 8 0.13x
Buckinghamshire 7 2.18x
Essex 4 0.38x
Norfolk 4 0.49x
Surrey 4 0.15x
Pembrokeshire 3 1.78x
Bedfordshire 2 0.73x
Berkshire 1 0.25x
Monmouthshire 1 0.26x
Oxfordshire 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barrowden in Rutland leads with 28 Tomblins recorded in 1881 and an index of 2568.81x.

Place Total Index
Barrowden 28 2568.81x
Bisbrooke 28 5714.29x
Manton 24 4210.53x
Thistleton 19 7916.67x
Hambleton 16 3555.56x
Raunds 16 314.96x
Morcott 14 1609.20x
Wootton Wawen 13 308.06x
North Luffenham 12 1538.46x
Grantham 11 99.46x
Islington London 11 2.14x
Ketton 10 492.61x
Sapperton 10 3846.15x
Bainton 9 2903.23x
Cottesmore 9 1216.22x
Watford 9 31.73x
Leicester St Margaret 8 5.58x
Seaton 8 1379.31x
Barrow 7 3181.82x
Hargrave 7 1076.92x
St Neots 7 122.16x
St Pancras London 7 1.64x
Billesdon 6 394.74x
Boothby Pagnell 6 2500.00x
Fulham London 6 7.80x
Market Overton 6 857.14x
Newark Upon Trent 6 23.34x
Pennington In Leigh 6 49.67x
Thurning 6 1764.71x
Winslow 6 198.68x
Wymondham 6 500.00x
Altofts 5 86.21x
Barnwell All Sts 5 2000.00x
Cuckfield 5 55.31x
Hartshorn 5 159.24x
Langham 5 403.23x
Langwith 5 735.29x
Medbourne 5 495.05x
Ratby 5 169.49x
Spittlegate 5 42.59x
Wainfleet All Sts 5 202.43x
Brighton 4 2.22x
Oakham Deanshold 4 229.89x
South Carlton 4 1250.00x
Southorpe 4 1250.00x
Stamford St Mary 4 233.92x
Sutton In Ashfield 4 25.77x
Tansor 4 869.57x
Upwell 4 105.26x
Woodford 4 33.73x
Woodstone 4 240.96x
Bromley London 3 2.57x
Derby St Werburgh 3 6.25x
Edmondthorpe 3 789.47x
Garthorpe 3 1363.64x
Great Gidding 3 340.91x
Hunton 3 189.87x
Knossington 3 566.04x
Old 3 454.55x
Pembroke St Michael 3 122.95x
Peterborough 3 8.30x
Springthorpe 3 769.23x
St Marylebone London 3 1.06x
Stamford St George 3 78.74x
Syston 3 54.45x
Alconbury Weston 2 263.16x
Ashford 2 11.34x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 2 4.08x
Barnwell St Andrew 2 425.53x
Chelsea London 2 1.25x
Glaston 2 500.00x
Lambeth 2 0.43x
Market Deeping 2 90.91x
Nassington 2 153.85x
Oakham Lordshold 2 49.02x
Paddington London 2 1.03x
Pickworth 2 487.80x
Southwark Christchurch 2 8.04x
Stamford St Michael 2 82.99x
Yaxley 2 81.30x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Tomblin surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 45
Sarah 32
Elizabeth 25
Ann 14
Fanny 14
Ellen 10
Emma 9
Eliza 7
Hannah 7
Jane 6
Annie 5
Ethel 4
Florence 4
Lizzie 4
Rebecca 4
Ada 3
Anne 3
Catherine 3
Frances 3
Harriet 3
Harriett 3
Julia 3
Kate 3
Sophia 3
Susan 3
Alice 2
Charlotte 2
Christiana 2
Emily 2
Lois 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Lydia 2
Martha 2
Susannah 2
Agnes 1
Anna 1
Christana 1
Elis. 1
Elzabeth 1
Emerline 1
Emmia 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Katherine 1
Kitty 1
Lilian 1
Lily 1
Louise 1
Winifed 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Tomblin surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 42
John 40
Thomas 22
George 18
Edward 17
Charles 14
Joseph 13
Henry 12
James 11
Robert 9
Harry 8
Alfred 5
Ernest 5
Samuel 5
Albert 4
Matthew 4
Arthur 3
Frederick 3
Tom 3
Daniel 2
Herbert 2
A. 1
Abraham 1
Annie 1
Asker 1
Charley 1
Charlie 1
Dan 1
Dinnis 1
Frank 1
Fredrick 1
Jas. 1
Leslie 1
Manassch 1
Martin 1
Mathew 1
Michael 1
Milley 1
Oscar 1
Rober 1
Stafford 1
Stephen 1
Tobias 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Rd. 1

FAQ

Tomblin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tomblin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 544 people were recorded with the Tomblin surname. That placed it at #6,344 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tomblin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 425 in 2016. That gives Tomblin a modern rank of #11,300.

What does the Tomblin surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "tumbling stream" or "stream with stepping stones" in Old English.

What does the Tomblin map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Tomblin bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.